Dragon's Keep
by FelonMistress
Summary: Jaime Lannister's attempt to kill Bran Stark goes awry but as the boy fights for survival, his mind takes him on a strange journey.
1. The Power of Dreams

Hello all to anyone who happens upon my writing!

WELCOME! This is the inaugural story for this brand new category, "Game of Thrones." I saw the first episode of the HBO series and I knew right away I wanted to write for this series. Some will say that the title is "A Game of Thrones," and I don't know if anyone will get their knickers in a twist about it but we'll see how this goes. I did request a correction or review of the actual title.

This is my first time writing in the fantasy genre. I'm not new to the site or to multi-chaptered story writing, but this is the first story under this account that I originally opened to write in the True Blood universe, which will come to me soon. I hope you enjoy it. It's a "divergence" story, seeing as how the television series is only at its 5th episode. For those of you who have read "A Song of Ice and Fire," in which this TV series is based on, I hope you like it.

The characters have not been set on this site but I've sent a cast list to FF(dot)net and hope that it will come up soon. The main characters in this one shot are Catelyn Stark, her son Bran and Jaime Lannister but it's mainly focused on Bran. His direwolf is in this as well but at this point in the series, it doesn't have a name. I know the name, but for the sake of continuity, I won't give it to him in this two shot.

Here is the first story in what I hope will be many in this universe. I don't own this series, the books or tv show, nor do I make any money off of it. Please spread the word and tell others that this category exists.

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><p><strong>Dragon's Keep<strong>

**A Two Shot Story Featuring**

**Bran Stark**

**Chapter 1**

**"The Power of Dreams"  
><strong>

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><p><strong>oooo0oooo<strong>

The early evening was passing slowly as Catelyn Stark sat at the edge of Bran's bed, her needlepoint getting longer and longer with each passing day. Sometimes Bran's eyes twitch slightly and she would look up, anxious and hoping that her second born son was arousing from his unnatural slumber, but the boy never stirred past the rapid eye movements.

Disappointment dug at her at her like the impending cold winter but she remained at her fallen son's side, determined to not leave until he awakened. What if he awakened and she wasn't around? What would he think? A mother's love was deep; deeper than the vast oceans and as dense as the largest forests. Her son was one of the kindest, most gentle souls she knew and all those at Winterfell had offered their warmest regards to him and hope that he improve.

Bran's fall perplexed her. The boy was agile; always climbing up a tree, the side of the castle, over fences and often drove her to distraction. He didn't seem happy unless he was climbing up on something or other. He was, however, always careful. He was as graceful as a summer wind and his apparent fall from the side of the building was seen as an omen. If a child so graceful could stumble and fall in such a way, then perhaps her house was in for a difficult time.

But he survived, and this was yet another reason why she remained at his side. An accident though it was, there was something sinister in the air and she would be there to protect him. She couldn't drop her guard for one minute, especially with the Lannisters around. Although King Robert were pushing her daughter Sansa and his heir together to unite their house, she secretly wished the pinched face cretin off on someone else. Heir to the throne, she nonetheless didn't like or trust him and truth be told, neither did his own father. Ned would probably agree to the match out of loyalty and fondness for the King, but she could only hope that Joffrey's attention turned elsewhere.

Anywhere else!

Bran's eye twitched again. She glanced up briefly before returning to her needlepoint. This was no different than any other time and she had grown accustomed to the disappointment. Her place was at his side and she would never leave it. She was thankful that he had survived the fall, but what would he awaken to? Would he be as his normal self or would he have some horrific injury that would affect him for the rest of his life.

Catelyn pushed those negative thoughts out of her head. It would do no good to dwell on such things. She had to trust in Ned and hope that all will be well. Perhaps the omen she was sensing was that of Jon Snow's ignoble death at the Wall. She was glad to not ever have to see her husband's bastard ever again.

Bran's eye twitched again and she glanced again, more out of habit than thinking that there was a change in him. The direwolf resting at his side, she sighed sadly and continued her needlepoint, her heart heavy with grief and sorrow.

Bran rested quietly in his deep slumber but his young, agile mind was another matter altogether.

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><p><strong>oooo0oooo<strong>

Bran slowly opened his eyes, his face covered with dirt and sweat. He looked upwards, wondering how he had gotten down from the window. He didn't recall climbing down, nor had he entered the tower and excited that way. This was strange, the inquisitive boy thought. It was as though he had lost a brief moment in time.

He began to remember the brief sensation of floating and the cloudy sky above moving farther and farther away and then a sickening thud. Yes, that's right…he had climbed up one of the walls outside of Winterfell and had fallen down. Oddly enough, he never felt a thing. He looked up the rough façade of the building, wondering how he could have even survived such a fall.

No, he had been pushed. Jaime Lannister had pushed him, but why? Their families were very close allies and it was strange for him to do such a thing. What had he done to deserve this? Jaime Lannister was a valiant warrior and the King's brother-in-law. Perhaps he had made a mistake and had only meant to reach out and pull him…but pull him where?

His brow furrowed. Now he remembered. He had seen Jaime and his sister Cersei in bed together. They were…

Bran closed his eyes and cringed. Jaime tried to kill him. He had pushed him out of the window after catching them together in the most unholy and unnatural way. He slowly stood up, shaking his head as he looked around for his direwolf but the faithful creature was nowhere to be seen. He needed to get back inside of Winterfell and find his father. Jaime needed to be punished or worse.

Suddenly a howl tore through the quiet silence of the afternoon across the open ground on the outskirts of the grounds. Breathing a sigh of relief, he shook his head in irritation. His direwolf was running away from him. Perhaps he was chasing something, maybe a rabbit or a deer. He began running towards him to get him back before he got away completely. He climbed up over a small wall, through a wooden fence and into a small nearby forest.

The creature howled again, this time from an even greater distance. He continued onward but soon he realized that the sky had darkened and a thick mist began to descend. He thought to stop chasing the direwolf and head back but as he did so, the forest seemed to have swallowed him up. Not sure what to do, he finally decided it was best to return to Winterfell and alert his father to Jaime's crime against him. He turned to go back but soon realized that the trees, rocks and brushes were beginning to look different. He continued onward, knowing that he was hopelessly lost but thinking that he would come out on the other side of the forest and could at least see the village on the other side of the forest.

He heard the howl again and turned around, this time seeing his direwolf standing on a boulder. The beautiful animal jumped down and ran into the misty brush.

"Direwolf!" he called out but the animal continued deeper into the forest. He really needed to name his wolf. Calling him "direwolf" was getting tiresome but he had to be patient. The direwolf will dictate actions that would help create its name.

The sounds in the forest, however, gave him pause. It was getting darker and scarier and he would need to return back home but to do that, he needed his direwolf. Shaking his head, he ran onward until he realized he was in a clearing. He stopped running, breathing hard and wanting to collapse from exhaustion under the afternoon sun. It seemed like he had been running all day long, in a circle no less.

If he had to be honest about it, he couldn't really tell what time of the day it was. The sky was obscured by the layer of mist and he couldn't tell where the sun was. The ground was very misty but he could make out his direwolf next to a large tree.

Wait…the tree…is it moving?

Bran's eyes widened as he began to back up but his direwolf slowly walked over to him, taking the edge of his shirt and pulling him forward.

"Stop it," he said sternly, the tone of his voice hiding his abject fear. The huge tree seemed to be getting larger the closer they got to it.

He tried to pull away but the direwolf held on, using his strength to propel the frightened boy forward. Desperately trying to keep from screaming and scared beyond reason, Bran fell to his knees, forcing the direwolf to stop. It turned around, leveling his eyes toward his master's.

It was strange; he could feel his direwolf's confidence and strength. He knew that the animal would never forsake him or lead him to harm. The connection between them seemed to strengthen Bran as he stood up and, walked towards the huge tree, his animal right beside him. It gave him comfort and the courage to go forward. Whatever was going to happen, they would face it together.

As they approached, his breath left him and he had to step back on one leg to steady himself. It wasn't a tree…

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><p>I hope that captured your attention. I don't know how this will be perceived since I just threw this chapter up so I could post to this new category. I'll make any corrections on it later. Thank you for reading it.<p>

FelonMistress


	2. The Messenger

I do not own "Game of Thrones" or "A Song of Ice and Fire," which the television series is based on.

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><p><strong>Dragon's Keep<strong>

**A Two Shot Story Featuring**

**Bran Stark**

**"The Messenger"**

* * *

><p>Catelyn Stark's head slowly pulled forward as her eyes sagged. She quickly opened them, snapping her head back up as she looked over at Bran's still sleeping form. It was nearing twilight and she hadn't had a good night's sleep since his fall. She sighed heavily, grateful for the life of her son but at odds over his unnatural slumber.<p>

Ned and her daughters were still away at King's Landing and now, more than ever, she felt their loss. She viewed her husband's appointment as the King's Hand both a blessing and a curse. Ned was true and honest; sometimes to a fault, considering the Lannisters were too deeply involved in the business of the King. Her husband was often guileless but she had seen how corrupting power could be in a family so strong. They were capable of doing great things but more often than not, they were capable of great depravity. Such was the way of life in these turbulent times.

But her insisting that he took the position was only to uncover the truth behind the death of her sister's husband. Jon Arryn had been the King's Hand and Lysa suspected Cersei Lannister behind his death. Although her sister was a bit high strung and odd, she believed the accusations that she had leveled against the Queen.

The Lannisters couldn't be trusted but, because of the amount of power that they had gained through the years, not many were in a position to challenge them. House Lannister was now strong enough to raise an army to take over the Seven Kingdoms.

Cersei herself projected the picture of grace and elegance but Catelyn knew better. Women of the lands had to be harder than they appeared and the Queen spoke softly but her eyes projected hate for her husband and all those who are not Lannister. She didn't trust her at all and if she had her way, Sansa wouldn't marry that cruel lout of a son of hers.

Robert Baratheon was an idiot for marrying that fair-haired snake.

None of that mattered in the here and now as she stood up to stretch her weary legs and then walked over to the bed, gently stroking Bran's sweat-covered brow. He seemed to be off in the dream world. Satisfied that he wasn't in immediate danger, she kissed him and took her seat again. Leaning back, she nestled back for another restless night.

* * *

><p><strong>oooo0oooo<strong>

Bran's breath left him as the beautiful dragon crept slowly towards him. As large as it was, he marveled at how it made virtually no sound. He turned his head sideways as the fear he initially felt slowly left him, replaced by a sense of wonder.

The green scales were offset by a magnificent red undertone, and then seem to reflect a dull golden color that matched its eyes, which twinkled against the light fog enveloping the field.

The direwolf sat down on his haunches and looked up at his master, tongue wagging in anticipation of whatever was to come. Bran tentatively took a step towards the beautiful beast as he inclined his head to his height.

"Don't bite me," he said quickly. "Or burn me. I don't want to die today."

The dragon lowered its head even lower as the direwolf took a step back, as if to show his master that he trusted it. Bran looked around tentatively as he took one step, then another, and then another until he was standing at the dragon's neck. He held his hand out and lightly touched it. When the dragon didn't flinch, he ran his hand along its neck, smiling softly as the beast softly growled. It was cooler than he thought it would be and the scales gleamed under his gentle touch.

Laughing, he moved closer to the dragon and touched it with his other hand. By now, it was lying closer to the ground and Bran absently wondered if he should climb aboard.

As if it were reading the boy's thoughts, the dragon exhaled through its powerful nostrils and completely laid its body down on the soft ground.

What could it hurt? This was the adventure of a lifetime. In the past one hundred years, no one had even seen a dragon. How could he possibly deny himself this rare opportunity?

Throwing caution to the wind, Bran climbed aboard, settling down on its neck and taking a hold of a spiky-shaped horn on its neck.

The dragon waited until the boy was settled on comfortably before slowly flapping its wings. Startled, Bran desperately gripped its neck as it began to rise slowly into the air. The direwolf backed up, watching intently as the dragon quickened its ascent. He flew higher and higher until it was above the forest.

In the meantime, Bran, his eyes clutched tightly together as he gripped the dragon's neck for dear life, slowly opened them as he could now see nothing but sky flying past him. He timidly sat up slowly, still maintaining a death-like grip on the beast and looked out on to a sky that was full of gentle light clouds dotting its horizon. He looked down and his eyes widened at the open ground flying swiftly underneath them. With both hands, he took one of the spiky horns and the dragon, sensing the boy's ease, flew faster.

"This is amazing!" Bran gasped as the beast flew towards the horizon. As it went higher, it went faster and then turned, swiftly diving towards the ground. Bran's fears and apprehension were gone as he yelled excitedly. They flew away from Westeros, flying towards the sun and further from any place he has ever seen or known. Soon they were flying over the deep blue sea, strange animals swimming along underneath them and jumping out of the water.

He looked around in wonder and amazement as the dragon lowered itself level to the water and skimmed along its edge. He reached down with one free hand; the water was so close he could smell its salt but just as he was about to touch down, the dragon reared up and flew upwards again.

Bran strained his eyes as tried to search the horizon but he saw nothing but blue waters. Was he at the end of the lands? How far did this go? He was sure that no one had gone any further than this in the history of all the Seven Kingdoms. Wherever he was, he only hoped that he didn't fly off the edge of the world.

The dragon flew onward until he reached a chain of mountains in the middle of the deep waters. It negotiated itself around its top peaks before diving lower, entering into a cave and navigating through a series of caverns. Bran wrinkled his nose at the gaseous smell as he struggled to hold on. He wanted to go back out to the open air. If they stayed any longer down here, he would suffocate.

"_Listen to me, Bran," _it called out to him mentally, startling him. _"Your destiny will soon be at hand. You must be brave and fight alone. The air will be rife with betrayal. Trust in your direwolf and your instincts and you will survive."_

"What do you mean?" Bran asked, ignoring the stench. "What of my mother and father? Will my family not stand with me? What of my brothers Robb and Jon?"

"_You will have a messenger soon,"_ the dragon replied. "_Do not take it lightly nor should you be afraid. Your time will come soon. Do not merely trust what your eyes tell you."_

Bran listened intently and nodded, closing his eyes and hugged the dragon's neck as it dove through an opening of the cave and soar into the sky. It continued back towards the Seven Kingdoms and before long they were back in the woods nearing Winterfell and to the misty forest.

The direwolf was patiently waiting when they landed softly. The dragon lowered its head and body prone to the ground, Brand quickly dismounting. He took several steps back, and then paused. He looked the huge majestic creature in the eye and his shoulders sagged. The moments before this dream, he had remembered what had happened to him. He was a child who looked at his life with a sense of adventure and this magical moment wasn't lost on him.

His life would change. For the better or worse, he wasn't sure, but he knew that when returned to his home, things would never be the same again and apparently, he would do so alone.

That was the strangest thing. How is it that his father, the King's Hand, will not be by his side?

The dragon inclined his head reverently and slowly lifted itself into the sky, flying high onward over the trees.

"_Soon,"_ it said to him mentally. _"You will remember…"_

Soon it was gone and the air was still and silent. Not even the wind was blowing. Bran watched it as his direwolf stood next to him, licking his hand. He ran his hand along the animal's head as he stood rooted to the spot.

The direwolf turned and slowly walked back towards the castle, stopping momentarily to look back to see if his master was coming. Bran merely stared off into the sky, part of him hoping that the dragon would return and explain to him what he meant by that.

This was the strangest encounter he had ever had – and with a dragon, no less.

Apparently, a dragon that talked to him but its words made no sense.

When he was satisfied that it would not come back, he turned and followed his direwolf back through the thick forest. The mist had lifted by now and before long, they found themselves outside of the window where Jaime Lannister had pushed him. His anger increasing with every step, he would go in and find his father, telling him what happened and more over, what he had seen.

If what he had seen was true, then it was possible that Joffrey…

He paused. No, it couldn't be. It wasn't possible.

Or was it?

Bran's eyes narrowed. This is why he had been hurt. Cersei and Jaime's horrific secret had consequences that were beyond his young mind and thoughts. He needed to get to his father and tell him.

Joffrey Baratheon wasn't the true heir-presumptive.

He broke out into a run, his direwolf behind him as he entered the castle.

"Father!" he called out. "Father!"

No one answered him. In fact, there was no one in the castle.

This was odd, he thought. He ran through the castle, calling out for Robb, his mother and his sisters. When no one came, he went back outside towards the gate. There was no one around.

Suddenly a large black object flew from a tree and landed on a fence post. Bran walked over to it and stopped; it had three eyes and was staring at him intently. Turning around, it flew into the barn.

Remembering what the dragon had told him, he followed the crow, unsure where it was going or what he would discover.

* * *

><p><strong>oooo0oooo<strong>

Catelyn Stark opened her eyes. It was dawn and the sun was peaking into the room. She ran her hands along her neck and stood up, looking over at Bran. He hadn't stirred and his direwolf was sleeping at the foot of his bed. She needed to attend to her other son, Rickon, but she couldn't leave Bran's side.

"Come home to us soon, Ned," she whispered as she stroked Bran's cheek when a slight knock at the door caught her attention.

"May I enter?" Theon Greyjoy asked as he pushed the door open slightly.

Catelyn nodded as Theon, her husband's ward walked in. Captured in his youth by Ned from Balon Greyjoy, he had raised him alongside her other children.

It was something that she never truly liked but she dealt with it.

"Has he awakened?" Theon asked.

"No," Catelyn replied. "His slumber hasn't ended."

Theon watched the boy somberly. "He seems to dream."

"I hope his dreams are pleasant," she replied. "He will awaken in a good disposition and hopefully, Ned will have returned by then."

Suddenly the direwolf jumped on the bed and protectively lay at the boy's side. Catelyn started to say something but then she stayed her words. Perhaps the animal's spirit would reach out to his master and bring him home.

Unaware of the maelstrom about to present itself at their feet, Bran continued his slumber unabated.

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><p>Hmmm. I think I'm going to just sit back and observe things for now.<p>

Thanks.

FelonMistress


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